What is the best kind of shotgun for self-defense?

If you had to defend yourself against several armed people what kind of shotgun would you want to have?





This is a research question for a book. I am not a gun owner and don%26#039;t know anything about them.|||I personally own a Mossberg 500 SPS. 18 1/2 inch barrel (shortest legal barrel) with a pistol grip. It was manufactured with personal defense in mind and I%26#039;m certainly satisfied with it. For the price (under $300) I think it%26#039;s a fine shotgun.|||Its really not the type of shotgun that you have. its the type of load that put in it. You have your field load, game load, buck shot, ext.... if you were in that kind of situation, i would suggest a field load. When fired, a game load discharges hundreds of little bbs which go in several different directions. there for you could posibly hit several different targets depending on the range. This is also known as a scatter shot.|||Remington 870 - 4 Buck(the load I use has 34 pellets) compared to 9 for 00 Buck - At ranges under 10yds it will not matter that much which you use, at ranges greater than 25yds the #4 Buck has a big advantage|||12 Gauge loaded with number 4 buckshot.* Pump or semi-automatic.*|||Remington 870 Express, probably the synthetic stock one. Likely the best and most popular all around shotgun ever made.|||I would have one with the shortest legal barrel and a pistol grip, with an extended magazine. You can easily turn around in hallway, carries maximum amount of ammo. The previous answer about the ammo is good too.|||a loaded one|||Ihave both the 7 shot 18%26quot; barreled Remington 870, and the 6 shot Mossberg 500A, also with an 18%26quot; barrel. Ifavor the 870, but the Mossberg is a very good gun.|||870 express makes a very good %26quot;home defender%26quot;|||A Mossburg Just in Case 12 gauge with #1 buckshot.|||I would use a USAS-12 or similar. Though it isn%26#039;t very practical for home defense it can hold 20 rounds (compared with the typical %26lt; 10 round shotgun) it would help you hold off a fairly large group.





A more practical gun would be one of the Mossberg 500%26#039;s. They can hold up to 8 rounds and anyone (of age) can buy them fairly cheap.|||A USAS 12 or a Tromix modified Saiga 12 with Wraithmaker 20 round drums loaded with 00 buckshot and slugs in box magazines.





www.tromix.com


www.wraithmaker.com|||An 18-1/2%26quot; pump in 12 or 20 w/buckshot. Once one assailant sees a portion of another assailant%26#039;s head removed the other two split or beg for mercy.|||Ready for the real best answer? Here it comes:





The best shotgun for any purpose, especially for self-defense/home-defense is the one that you are familiar with and know how to use well.





Any shotgun will serve the purpose just fine. You don%26#039;t need an uber-cool tactical shotgun or anything like that; any shotgun that goes cha-CHUCK when you rack it and ka-BOOM when you pull the trigger will spray lead at the bad guys. The real thing that you want to look for is one that you can weild effectively. If you have short arms, consider a youth model. If you will be in confined areas (hallways, stairs, through doors, etc) a short barrel will do well for you. Home invasions don%26#039;t generally involve firefights, so capacity isnt usually an issue, but most shotguns are available with an extended magazine tube that can hold up to 8 rounds.





A good model for you to consider is the Mossberg 500 %26quot;Persuader%26quot; or %26quot;Special Purpose%26quot; 12ga shotgun loaded with either 00-BK 0-BK or 4-BK buckshot. If you worry about over-penetration (projectiles going through walls into childrens/spouse%26#039;s room) go with the smaller pellets.





The most important thing for you to do is to PRACTICE with it. Take it to the range, get familiar with it. Take a tactical shotgun course. Experiment shooting in different lighting conditions. Know the weapon inside out, forwards and backwards. Be able to load it in the dark. Know how to maneuver it around corners and through doors. If you live with others, be sure to have some system (%26quot;safe words?%26quot;) in place to avoid shooting your daughter and her boyfriend when they stumble in drunk at 4AM.





Good luck.|||The one you are most comfortable with.|||A hinge action or break action shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot. Don%26#039;t use a pump action or semi-auto. They jam and that is a risk you cannot afford to take it in a shootout.|||a big one lol|||one that works